Duel of Destiny: The Chūnin Face Off
Prologue Densetsu burst out of the forest with his blade. The shinobi closest to him was the unluckiest, Densetsu's katana dug deep into his shoulder above his heart. He crumpled away in pain. The other shinobi who had been robbing the crates next to the ships were taken by surprise. The quick and nimble Densetsu vaulted over fleeing pedestrians, racing head on to them. Two of them stepped ahead, forming hand signs. Flames spewed from their mouths, heading straight towards Densetsu as two long streams of fire. Densetsu knew he couldn't waste chakra on henchmen so he let his reflexes take over. Just as the two streams of hellish fire enveloped him, Densetsu let his momentum carry him forward, leaning backwards until he slid forward on his knees. Two shuriken flew from his fingertips, burying themselves into the trachea of the two shinobi. The stream of fire stopped instantaneously, and Densetsu propelled himself forward, pressing his hands into their faces and smashing them to the ground. Non lethal hits, but the damage to their trachea would ensure they'd be out for hours. The remaining five shinobi cornered Densetsu, preparing to attack simultaneously. One rushed forward with a mace, trying to bury it into Densetsu's head. Densetsu ducked and spun, allowing the mace to miss completely before ramming his elbow into the groin of his attacker. The man screamed in agony, backing a few steps, enabling Densetsu to strike him in the head with an instant front kick, knocking him out. The man crashed into one of his allies and Densetsu twisted swiftly again. His movements were like a dance, light, quick and graceful. The other shinobi who had surrounded him did not dare to fling a projectile at him, in fear that they would hit their companions. Densetsu's punches and kicks, while not the strongest; were definitely the fastest. He grabbed one of the shinobi, digging his fingers into the shinobi's eyes and dragged him around. Rolling out of the circle, Densetsu was now free to engage them. The taijutsu match was brief but intense. All the men drew their blades, engaging in a ferocious battle. Quickly appearing behind Densetsu, one of them attempted to stab Densetsu, but the Uchiha instinctively blocked the attack with his own katana. With Densetsu trapped in a blade lock, another shinobi accelerated towards him, attempting to slash him in half. "Amateurs," Densetsu thought. He disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the both shinobi who had cornered him earlier found their blades dug into a block of wood. The block of wood exploded almost instantly, knocking both men backwards and unconscious, with burns on their faces and arms. Densetsu punched the man whose eyes he had gouged earlier in the jaw, knocking him unconscious. The docks were burning now, but Densetsu still could not see him. A ship was burning in front of him. There was a massive explosion, and it split in half, sinking rapidly. A lone figure leaped out of the wreckage and landed 10 metres in front of Densetsu. He was hooded, and in his right arm he carried a bloodied scythe. He straightened his body and faced Densetsu, removing his hood. A mask covered his face, but his hair was long and untamed. Densetsu frowned, and his eyes turned the colour of blood. The Sharingan manifested into existence, glowing through the slits in Densetsu's mask, reading the opponent which was in front of it. Revelations "Already with those damned eyes of yours eh?", the masked man sneered. "Aren't you gonna make a move? Show your great ballsy stunts?", the masked man teased again, cackling behind his mask. Densetsu's fists clenched up, veins protruding. "Don't give me your big talk, you big ape. Move a finger and watch what I do to you.", Densetsu retorted. The air had become very dangerous, the smell of smoke and the smell of blood, coupled with the anticipation of the two men. The masked man relaxed, planting the scythe into the ground and placing a hand on his hip. "Densetsu Uchiha, you really are a queer one aren't you...", he mused. Densetsu frowned harder. "Are we gonna just keep talking, or are we gonna settle this?", he asked. Suddenly the masked man bellowed. "WHO DO YOU THINK I AM, YOU F**KING BRAT? YOU THINK I'D JUST WALTZ AT YOU AND FIGHT, THATS IT? NO SMALL FART, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING; I'VE WAITED FOR THIS MOMENT FOR YEARS!", he screamed. He ripped his mask off and slammed it onto the ground. Densetsu froze in sheer horror. Beneath the scars and the facial hair, Densetsu recognised that face. Those bloodshot eyes filled with unrelenting hatred, that snarl that would scare off the most rabid dog, or the bravest lion. That measure of madness he hadn't seen since he was 10 years old. Since the Chūnin Exams. Akuhei Iwao. Iwao was grinning maniacally now, eyes bulging so wide one would expect them to pop outta their sockets. "You humiliated me you f**ker. You defeated me and left me naked in front of an arena, you and those, THOSE F**KING EYES!", the spittle flew out of his mouth like the venom of a cobra. Densetsu frowned and removed his mask. He gazed into Iwao's eyes with regret. He had taken it too far in his youth, humiliating the boy like that. "Akuhei...look here, I was an imbecile back then. An insensitive one, I only had vengeance in mind," he shook his head and continued his gaze. "For that, I truly am sorry. But this path you're walking down...I can't let you do it. Please don't make me." Akuhei's grin turned sadistic. "Wait, you think," he gestured around to the flames and back to Densetsu, "all of this is because YOU defeated me?" He laughed exaggeratedly. "You bloody fool, you bloody fool." Iwao paced to his left and turned to look at Densetsu. "You have no idea how it feels...to be bred as a weapon. To be bred for a purpose which you have no choice in, to be treated like a pig raised for slaughter," the lunacy in his face had dissipated, and now Densetsu saw a troubled young man, the hurt in his face was contagious, like he was trying to share his pain with Densetsu. He continued, expression constant. "Kirigakure screwed me over, and when I lost to you, I woke up. I realised that power was what I needed, that I wouldn't be shackled by illegitimate bastards like them." Now the lunacy returned to his face, his mouth drew wide in a mad smile, eyes bulging out again. "So on the very night we returned to Kirigakure, I killed them all. Those people who were my 'mentors', I cut them all down with my blade and hung them in my quarters with their own intestines." Densetsu cringed, but Iwao was a fan of details, and he continued. "They were alive why my blade hit them, their faces when I cut their tummies up," he licked his lips at this, "were priceless. By the time they were discovered, I had killed the border watch and fled. Over the next years I was exposed to the beauty of Jashin, the promise of power...and I became immortal. I killed and killed, till the power of my enemy became mine. The blood dedicated to Jashin, is blood which ultimately will belong to me." Densetsu understood now. The Explosion and Lava Releases had been obtained by him via means of blood rituals. Eating hearts. Like Hidan, this man was a Jashin experiment, a highly successful one, much much more dangerous than Hidan ever could be. Iwao continued. "Eventually, I found out of my bloodline, I am a Senju it seems! And so I put my blood to the test. Accessing a sample of the First Hokage's DNA, I experimented and obtained power greater than my immortality, the power of gods, the Wood Release!", he finished gloriously, raising his hands in the air. Densetsu's eyes widened in shock. Immortality, Wood Release plus the Explosion and Lava Releases...this guy was beyond anything he had faced. Densetsu had to find a way to overcome him. Iwao approached again, this time pulling the scythe from the ground. He removed his long, bloodstained cloak and let it fly away in the strong wind. Densetsu shifted his weight on his front knee and bent forward in a combat stance, pulling his katana from its' sheathe. Iwao's muscles tensed. "It's time for me to cut down another regret...losing to you in those Chunin Exam finals all those years back. I'll cut you down and get those lovely eyes of yours. Then I'll see who can stop me.", he said slowly. Iwao thundered forward with a roar, leaping at Densetsu with his scythe. Densetsu easily evaded the attack, rolling to his left. The scythe hit the ground and shattered the soil, leaving a miniature crater. Turning gracefully, Densetsu attempted to pierce Iwao's exposed sides, but he raised his scythe and parried the attack. Densetsu backflipped to put some space between himself and Iwao. Grabbing a few smokebombs, Densetsu flung them at Iwao, creating a smokescreen. The distraction was brief however, and Iwao leapt with his powerful legs over the smoke, wielding his scythe like a windmill. However he could not see Densetsu anywhere, the Uchiha seemed to have disappeared. Iwao realised it too late. Hundreds of shuriken whizzed through the smokescreen, with at least 10 burying themselves into Iwao's skin as he managed to parry the others away by windmilling his scythe. The smoke had cleared by now, and Iwao could see Densetsu standing in the middle of where the smoke had been. It had been a clever diversion, relying on Iwao's impulsiveness to rush over the smoke immediately to launch an attack, while firing an attack from Iwao's blindspot; the smokescreen behind him. However before Iwao could rush forward, Densetsu's hands moved quickly, and thick tendrils of soil wrapped around his arms and legs, immobilising and pulling him down. Iwao roared in anger, pulling hard at the tendrils, smashing some with his brute strength, eventually breaking through them all. He sped at Densetsu in a mad rage, the shuriken were still sticking to his body, turning him into a bloody mess. Densetsu evaded Iwao by ducking to the right, while the scythe of Iwao destroyed some crates. Bloody Recognition Quickly, Iwao reacted, turning around and firing several senbon at Densetsu, who dodged them merely by swiping them away with his katana. However Iwao was fast, his well muscled arm reached Densetsu's blade arm and gripped it crushingly hard. Iwao then hurled Densetsu a considerable distance, sending the Uchiha flying like a rag doll. Landing on the ground with a thud, Densetsu immediately made a few quick hand signs. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!", and a great fireball was spewed from his mouth, headed straight for the oncoming Iwao. "Water Release: Water Trumpet," and a great stream of water gushed from his mouth, causing the Fireball to dispel into steam. Iwao brought his scythe at Densetsu, who parried the attack. The men exchanged blows like a pair of dancers, parrying and deflecting. Iwao managed to punch Densetsu, trying to slice his legs off with the scythe while the latter was preoccupied. Densetsu reacted swiftly, jumping up and landing on the scythe. A kunai popped out under Densetsu's wrist, and he dug it deep into Iwao's left eye. Iwao howled in pain like an animal, smashing Densetsu in the jaw with an elbow, pushing him off. Densetsu quickly put a distance between himself and Iwao. Iwao pulled the kunai out, and his eye (or what was left of it) was a bloody mess. Blood oozed out of his eye like a miniature waterfall, but he grinned like a psychopath. Densetsu noticed that the earlier blow from Iwao had caused a deep cut on his lip. Iwao looked at his elbow, stained with a little of Densetsu's blood. Using his finger, he smudged it in the blood and licked it. Grinning maniacally he bellowed, "Lord Jashin!!! Forgive my carelessness, his blood is yours!! Sacrificing Regeneration Technique!!!!" Densetsu watched in horror and shock as the pouring blood waterfall from Iwao's eye seemed to flow backwards, back to the mess that was his eye. Slowly the mess cleared and...his eye reformed! The Shuriken also fell out of Iwao's body, and the wounds immediately sealed up. Densetsu barely could speak, "What the blazes have you become, Akuhei?" Iwao glared at him and snarled back, "Powerful!", he rushed forward with a sudden spurt of energy, taking in a deep breath. "Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!" Iwao yelled. Several molten globs of Lava at rapid succession towards Densetsu. "Oh sh*t," Densetsu swore, as he evaded the first two. The globs kept coming, Densetsu continuously evading, keeping his distance from a constantly shifting Iwao as well as dodging the dangerous attacks. Iwao suddenly appeared from behind Densetsu, firing a ball of Lava straight at him from his blindspot. Instinctively, Densetsu planted his hands on the ground, raising a huge wall quickly out of the ground. The wall exploded into flames, sending Densetsu toppling backwards. Iwao was relentless, already directly above him, ready to bring the scythe down on Densetsu's head. The Uchiha narrowly evaded the attack, leaping away nimbly at the last minute as the scythe smashed the ground. Quickly his hands moved, and even faster his attack was released. A long stream of fire erupted from Densetsu's mouth, but Iwao merely leaped over it, cartwheeling in the air and landing behind Densetsu. The guy was an overly muscled brute, but his reflexes were astounding, Densetsu thought. The scythe flew and again Densetsu dodged. Densetsu's blade moved furiously, parrying from left and right, trying to find an opening to exploit. Iwao kept the scythe close, moving only his arms. His body made no movements, keeping his center of balance intact. This ensured he was grounded well defensively, and also able to press Densetsu with powerful moves to tire him. Twisting swiftly, Densetsu found a brief respite in Iwao's bladework, delivering a back kick to Iwao's arm and knocking the scythe out of his reach and into the nearby waters. Iwao reacted quickly, swinging his left fist at Densetsu, though the latter's Sharingan enabled him to dodge the blow easily. Counter attacking quickly, Densetsu delivered a swift uppercut, launching Iwao off his feet and sending him thundering backwards. Attempting to bring his katana down on the grounded Iwao, Densetsu's move was foiled after Iwao released a savage kick from the ground into Densetsu's stomach. It was now Densetsu's turn to fly backwards, landing on the soil with a loud thud. The Sharingan caught Iwao's movement as he quickly placed his hands on the ground after hitting Densetsu. Instinctively Densetsu propelled himself into the air, somersaulting just as four hard spikes erupted from the very ground Densetsu had landed on. Skill of the Destroyer Too close, Densetsu thought to himself as he landed gracefully behind the spikes. Iwao was already forming hand signs. A huge volume of water rose up from the river behind Iwao, rising high in the air before quickly smashing down on Densetsu. Quickly Densetsu evaded the attack, appearing right next to where the water crashed down. However, several shapes split from the main water attack, taking the form of Iwao. Water Clones from a previous attack, an attack disguised in an attack. Densetsu thought to himself. Suddenly there was a blur of movement behind Densetsu, caught by the Sharingan. Densetsu ducked, and a scythe missed his head by centimetres. Rolling away from the attack, Densetsu reached into his pouch and flung several kunai at the water clones, immediately destroying all four clones. The scythe came crashing down again, but Densetsu only had enough time to narrowly block it with his katana. Having engaged Iwao in another blade lock, the Uchiha could feel himself getting pushed backwards by strength. Densetsu anchored another leg further behind to get stronger balance. Iwao had regained his scythe by using the first water attack against Densetsu. While he conjured clones up to attract Densetsu's attention he had manoeuvred behind Densetsu, attempting to cut him down from his blindside. Had it not been for the keenness of the Sharingan, Densetsu would've been long dead. "Nice move, but let me show you a smart move," Densetsu hissed to Iwao, smiling. Iwao's eyes widened. Immediately a Shadow Clone of Densetsu emerged from the ground under Densetsu and Iwao, grabbing onto Iwao's scythe. Thanks to the Shadow Clone, Densetsu was able to disengage the blade lock, leaping away quickly. Iwao roared in anger, swinging the scythe violently and slashing the clone. However, the clone dissipated into lightning chakra, flowing through the scythe and electrocuting Iwao viciously. While this happened Densetsu formed hand signs repeatedly, sending a long stream of flames towards Iwao. However it wasn't finished. Densetsu smirked. Upon touching Iwao, several massive explosions enveloped Iwao, engulfing him in flames. It was Densetsu's signature technique, Fire Release: Blazing Explosive Kunai Maelstrom. No matter how immortal Iwao was, this salvo of attacks would leave him hurting in pain and probably lacking a limb. Iwao emerged from the smoke and fires, burnt to an unrecognisable crisp. Bits of flesh were peeling away from him, and he looked terrifying. "Don't you get what immortal means?", he snarled, spitting. His left arm dropped off, and he scowled at it. "Sh*t you blew off my f**kin' arm...", Iwao muttered, shockingly unfazed. He reached behind and drew out four Shuriken. "You left my goons alive, you could've just killed em earlier. Now, you've given me a lovely chance.", he mused as he flung the shuriken at some of his downed henchmen whom Densetsu had defeated earlier. Each shuriken hit the downed men in the head, and their bodies jerked violently. "Technique: Venomous Blood]!", Iwao hissed as quickly the four men got up, "Densetsu Uchiha, you know not of my power." Densetsu's eyes widened in alarm. A foul feeling of chakra was in the air. Reanimation techniques. As the four men marched towards Densetsu, Iwao grabbed his scythe in his remaining arm and trudged forward. They leaped at Densetsu, running at him with blank expressions but Densetsu moved aside quickly, angling his katana to guard. The four did not Persie Densetsu, however. They knelt before Iwao and pulled out their blades. One by one they stood up and approached Iwao, slitting their throats while he approached the gashes to drink the blood. Densetsu could tell that the shuriken were specialised. He could sense Iwao's chakra in them, therefore he concluded that Iwao had struck the four unconscious men to control them, bringing them to him while he performed his sadistic ritual. The ritual had to be stopped and Densetsu knew it. He wrapped five explosive tags to one kunai and threw it towards Iwao, who was busy drinking up. A huge earth wall erupted from the soil, blocking the kunai from reaching Iwao. The explosion shattered the wall, but it did not harm Iwao at all. The burns on Iwao's body started to fall off and to Densetsu's shock, a layer of fresh, clean skin was underneath. Another one of the controlled shinoni took Iwao's arm and held it in the empty socket it used to hang on. Iwao merely swiped his scythe and the shinobi's head flew off. The blood sprayed like a geyser at Iwao, and he licked his face. The tissues and skin of the limb began reattaching themselves to Iwao's body, finally joining fully together. Iwao was now no longer charred, his skin was good as new, arm fully attached. The decapitated shinobi finally swayed before falling dead to the ground. The other three all had gashes in their throats, well bloodied, but their faces showed no pain or any emotion. Densetsu readied himself. "Since I'm controlling these idiots and they're gonna did of blood loss anyway, why not engage in some sport?", Iwao hissed, wiping the blood from his face and casually pulling his hair back. Both his hands grabbed the scythe, and the three shinobi sped towards Densetsu. The Uchiha quickly formed the hand signs. Wind Release: Rapid Fire Projectiles!, Densetsu's mind screamed as he spat continuous sharp, vicious bullets sculpted from wind towards the oncoming three. The Wind ripped through their flesh unceremoniously, while their bodies shook as though they were being electrocuted. Immediately Densetsu was behind them, his sore a major advantage. Kicking the middle one forward, Densetsu stepped where he had been and grabbed the shuriken in the heads of the other two, dislodging them. Immediately the two of them fell limp on the ground, definitely dead. Densetsu flung one of the shuriken towards the shinobi he had kicked to the ground, dislodging the shuriken on his head as well. Again Iwao had crept up behind him, but Densetsu had expected no less. Before Iwao could swing his scythe, Densetsu pressed his palm on the ground. A small earthen wall sprang up, knocking Iwao's scythe out of his grip, sending it flying in the air. Densetsu back flipped over the wall, landing a foot on Iwao's head. Iwao crashed to the ground, and Densetsu attempted to stomp on him. Iwao raised both his arms to his face, blocking Densetsu's blow, but the Uchiha was filled with grim determination. His fists quickly pounded Iwao's face from the sides repeatedly, left and right like lightning. Iwao spat blood into Densetsu's eye, distracting him momentarily. Iwao swung his fist immediately, but Densetsu narrowly evaded it, knowing that it would cause an explosion if it impacted. However his dodge left him disorientated and Iwao kicked him in the gut, sending Densetsu crashing through his own earth wall. Wiping the blood from his mouth, Iwao growled and coated himself in lava. Rushing towards Densetsu he attempted to scorch Densetsu who was still grounded. Getting up quickly, Densetsu intercepted him by shooting an intense jet of water from his mouth, knocking Iwao back a distance, quickly putting out the lava. Landing on the ground, Iwao smashed a fist into the ground, screaming "Explosion Release: Tactical Minefield!", Densetsu could sense an enormous web of chakra forming around him. Immediately he dodged the streams of oncoming chakra, his Sharingan aiding his reflexes while his sensory abilities kept picking up more and more chakra. Immediately the ground began to explode wherever the chakra had been flowed, sending smoke everywhere. Densetsu dodged and twisted, jumped and accelerated; dodging the lethal network of chakra veins under the soil as explosions reduced visibility, reducing the power of his Sharingan. Rolling aside as the explosions temporarily subsided Densetsu suddenly sensed chakra approaching him from all directions underground. There would be no normal escape from this one. Quickly Densetsu used the shadow clone technique, summoning four clones. Using the clones, he made them toss him into the air as a massive explosion erupted from under him, destroying all the clones instantly. Densetsu landed a distance away from the smoke, coughing violently. The Lava Release and Explosion Release had been manipulated lethally and skilfully so far by Iwao, by Densetsu had not seen the Wood Release. Densetsu knew he had to neutralise those two Kekkei Genkai instantly, or risk being eliminated quickly. He had to devise a plan before the smoke subsided, otherwise Iwao would gain sight of him; and possibly be able to sense his chakra again. Densetsu smiled to himself. Since Iwao claimed to be a Senju, the Wood Release was already in his blood and therefore; unsealable. However, the Explosion and Lava Releases were methods obtained from other ninja, which meant they were not part of him. If Densetsu could place a seal normally use to suppress cursed seals or evil seals on Iwao, he would cut off access to those two Kekkei Genkai, by virtue of suppressing an outside influence. The smoke began to clear, but Densetsu already had a plan. The Wood Release The smoke had cleared now and Akuhei Iwao strode through the destruction he created. There was no sign of Densetsu. The ground shook slightly and Iwao already knew what was coming. Densetsu erupted out of the ground, a kunai in hand. Iwao quickly drove his scythe through the Uchiha, who exploded in a puff of smoke. Shadow Clone, Iwao thought. The ground shook violently now and several Shadow Clones of Densetsu erupted from the ground, all wielding kunai. Left and right his scythe flew, mowing down all of them. Another clone erupted out of the ground, but when Iwao drove his scythe through it, it dispelled into lightning just like before, electrocuting Iwao momentarily. At that very instant Densetsu emerged behind Iwao from underground, slamming his palm into the Jashinist's back. "Evil Sealing Method!," Densetsu cried. Iwao's eyes widened in shock as he looked to the ground. The kunai had been arranged in some sort of ceremonial manner. They formed a weird looking circle, but now Densetsu had let go. Iwao felt a certain power drained from him...his Explosion and Lava Releases were gone! Densetsu skidded on the scorched ground behind him, grinning widely. The explosions Iwao had created earlier had enabled him to go underground, where he generated multiple shadow clones. Then, each of the clones had popped upwards at Iwao with a real kunai from Densetsu's pouch, feigning to strike him while they were actually planting the kunai on the ground to prepare for the Evil Sealing Method. The final clone had released a high voltage of electricity, stunning Iwao while the real Densetsu emerged and sealed Iwao's two Kekkei Genkai. Densetsu folded his arms and mocked Iwao, who was getting up. "Still powerful, Akuhei?", he asked. Iwao shook violently and turned around. He slung the scythe to his back immediately. Both his arms started forming hand signs rapidly, ending it with a tiger seal. Fire Release, not good, looks big., Densetsu thought. Immediately he ran into the forest as Iwao unleashed a series of savage fire attacks, turning the dock into an inferno. He turned his attack to the forest as well, burning the trees and leaping forward after Densetsu. The intense heat behind Densetsu was burning up the vapour in the air, making it difficult to overcome the flames with a water defence. Densetsu kept running forward in the branches, swinging on vines and leaping, determined to drag lose Iwao while finding a way to overcome his immortality. Suddenly a massive dragon made of earth rose in front of Densetsu, charging up some sort of orb in its' mouth. Densetsu twisted abruptly, dropping from the branch to the forest floor below, while the dragon's attack missed above, smashing a tree. Quickly Densetsu smacked his hands together, using his Ensnaring Soil to grab the dragon and constrict it, eventually turning to mud. He saw Iwao appear on one of the trees and immediately sent out a Fireball at Iwao, forcing the latter to evade. Losing Iwao, Densetsu climbed atop a tall tree, seeking brief respite from the battle. How do you defeat someone who's immortal? That was the question running through Densetsu's mind. He couldn't kill Iwao, it was simple as that. But to defeat him...yes. Densetsu would have to incapacitate him. The question now was how? Densetsu had no time to react, something moved behind him, materialising from the tree bark. Densetsu leapt away. It was a Wood Clone Technique. Iwao appeared behind Densetsu, gloating, "My tracking technique never fails motherf**ker, neither do I!" The Wood Clone leapt at him, Densetsu turned quickly; forming a brilliant blue orb of chakra in his hand, slamming it into the Wood Clone. It exploded into tiny shards, but Iwao leapt forward, landing into a branch near Densetsu, his eyes filled with hate as always. His eyes. Densetsu had barely realised. Quickly Iwao morphed into a demonic entity, sprouting wings and growing a few more feet in height. The scythe was his tail, viciously lashing at Densetsu as he growled preparing to strike. All while Densetsu bit his lip. Six senbon missed Densetsu by centimetres, only because the Uchiha had snapped out of Iwao's Genjutsu at the last minute, enabling him to dodge. Again Densetsu weaves hand signs, but Iwao was evading now. "Fireball Jutsu!," Densetsu cried. The huge orb of flame incinerated the entire upper portion of the tree Iwao had been in, as the Jashinist let himself fall downwards to the forest floor. Suddenly, huge wooden hands erupted from the forest floor! shattering the branches Densetsu was standing on. Quickly the Uchiha leaped to another tree, but the hands followed, more and more coming. They were enormous in size. Densetsu had lost sight of Iwao now, navigating through dozens of monstrous wooden hands. They grabbed the tops of trees, crushing and shattering them. One of them appeared before Densetsu, shattering the tree ahead of him. Densetsu sent out an powerful beam of lightning straight to it, slicing it in half and shattering it. Another senbon whizzed out, forcing Densetsu to deflect it with his katana. Iwao was under him now, racing quickly. Another hand emerged under Densetsu, threatening to crush him had the Uchiha not rapidly sped ahead. More and more hands were shooting into the air, easily 100 feet tall, grabbing trees and tossing them aside. Continuously they came endlessly, their fingers moving constantly, crushing, grabbing and tossing tree barks. Suddenly Densetsu felt the air heat up and looked below. The arms descended to the surface, out of existence; only leaving destroyed trees around them. But Iwao had disappeared and an orange glow was rapidly approaching. Densetsu knew what it was: a massive fire attack. It was at least a kilometre wide if not wider. Densetsu countered it using the very same technique. "Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!", he roared while forming the bird hand seal. A huge and magnificent amount of flames spewed from Densetsu's mouth, streaking at the other flames approaching. With a loud screech the flames canceled each other out, and the forest smouldered. Densetsu knew that this attack had surely given his position away for sure so he kept moving. But suddenly something burst out of the ground and all the trees in front of Densetsu were uprooted. It was like a huge snake, erupting out of the ground, coiling all around a radius of at most 100 meters—around Densetsu. Like a snake the green shape twisted until a head formed. It was a dragon. A dragon made from wood. Densetsu leaped onto the ground and gazed at the creature in shock and awe. It was the same size as a tailed beast, only much longer. At the head, Akuhei Iwao stood arrogantly. "This Densetsu...is a power far greater than those useless eyes! THIS IS THE WOOD RELEASE!", he roared. The dragon grew arms and planted them on the ground violently, causing the earth to shake. The Sharingan in Densetsu's eyes spun quickly and evolved into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Mountain Crushers The huge Susanoo of Densetsu materialised, forming fully. Every layer of skin formed and its' four arms grabbed their weapons; two blades and the legendary Triduum Spear. The Susanoo stood to its full height and pointed the weapons towards the dragon. Densetsu floated to the top of his Susanoo's head. The tail of the dragon swung at the Susanoo, but skilfully the Susanoo turned, grabbing the tail under one of its' armpits and slashing the tail off with a clean swipe of its blade. Quickly the Susanoo rushed forward, driving the Spear into the chest of the dragon. The dragon gave a deep roar, while many large hands appeared from the ground, restraining Densetsu's Susanoo. The Susanoo pulled hard, snapping the hands off. The dragon's tail reformed and attempted to swipe Densetsu's Susanoo again. This time it succeeded. The Susanoo took a lash in the face, crashing to the ground. Suddenly the dragon coiled itself around the Susanoo, constricting it. The head of the dragon turned, angling itself in front of the Susanoo's face. There, Densetsu and Iwao faced each other. Densetsu frowned and looked at him. "Nobody will die today, Akuhei," he said. Iwao glared at him. "Only half right, you're already a dead man.", came Iwao's reply. Densetsu closed his eyes slowly. The Susanoo broke free of the dragon. It brought it's' blades out and slashed the dragon repeatedly. Quickly the Susanoo slapped its' palms to the ground, and a huge orb of chakra began to envelop the dragon. Iwao leaped off immediately before the orb closed. Wind Release: Susanoo Vacuum!", Densetsu thought, eyes still closed. ''Susanoo: Antimatter Seal!, and this time the orb shrank and suddenly dematerialised. Bits and pieces of wood lay on the ground, where the dragon had been crushed and pulverised. This time, Iwao conjured another creature, it rose rapidly from the ground, punching the Susanoo hard in the face. As the Susanoo staggered back, the creature grabbed the Susanoo's leg and pulled hard, tossing it a large distance. The Susanoo pushed itself up, now with a small town behind it. The Wooden creature was rushing at him now from the north. Again the Triduum Spear materialised in the Susanoo's upper arms. It flung the spear, which landed in the chest of the creature. There was a huge explosion, and the creature fell over quickly, disintegrating. A new creature of the same type appeared behind Densetsu, this time with Iwao on it. Several other creatures of the same type emerged around the Susanoo. Instead of reusing the Triduum Spear, the Susanoo now wielded four blades in all four hands. An intense battle ensued as the Susanoo twirled, style reminiscent of its' master. The wood creatures quickly fell, limbs amputated, heads rolling. The one which Iwao rode on was resilient, fighting back, but the Susanoo eventually triumphed. Gathering lightning in a palm, the Susanoo quickly rushed forward and slammed the lightning into the creature, shattering it. Before Iwao could land on the ground, Densetsu opened his eyes. Orange marks had appeared now, signifying he had entered Sage Mode. Before Iwao could do anything else, Densetsu fired himself out of his Susanoo, leaping at Iwao. Quickly he landed a punch on Iwao, sending the man flying into the wall of the town, as his Susanoo dematerialised. With enhanced speed, power and reflexes, Densetsu leapt after him, throwing another punch. However, Iwao held out a hand and stopped the punch. He had snake-like markings around his eyes, another sign if Senjutsu. He tossed the Uchiha backwards. As Iwao surged forward, Densetsu gathered a huge Rasengan in his palm and smashed it into Iwao's stomach, sending him flying backwards. While Iwao lay sprawled, Densetsu spat a large volume of oil on him while flowing wind around the oil, preparing to light Iwao on a powerful fire to force him to submit defeat. Iwao shockingly grinned, muttering the words "Fire Release Stream," as a stream of fire erupted from his own mouth, igniting the oil. The flame quickly spread to Densetsu, who had to stop blowing out oil and wind, or risk getting his own powerful attack used against him. Iwao emerged from the flames quickly, sending punches left and right, too quick for the Sharingan to follow. The first punch landed on Densetsu's jaw, dislocating it, while the other definitely ruptured his intestine. Coughing blood as he was thrust backwards, Densetsu recovered and backflipped, spewing Senjutsu enhanced, powerful flames at Iwao. Iwao's eyes widened in shock as three shadow clones grabbed his arms and torso, while the flames hit him full on, setting his body ablaze. As the clones dispersed, Iwao had no time to react as Densetsu smashed an incredibly large Rasengan into Iwao's chest, slamming him backwards through several buildings! as terrified bystanders fled the scene. Densetsu collapsed as his Sage Mode wore off, but was confident Iwao's had worn off as well. Settling the Score Large vines sped through the wreckage, headed for the Densetsu. Immediately they passed through him and he merely stepped aside, unharmed after using Konohanasakuyahime. Densetsu frowned at the wreckage and stepped forward away from the vines. "Come out now Akuhei, let's not be pussies.", he jeered. Iwao leaped out of the wreckage, but Densetsu had been expecting him. A lone kunai whizzed out, knocking the scythe out of Iwao's hands. A leaping kick hit Iwao in the groin, making him scream in agony. A large hand emerged from the ground, grabbing Iwao's attacker and crushing him. Densetsu's shadow clone vanished in a puff of smoke, but Densetsu had been given enough time. Emerging from underground, both his feet hit Iwao in the face, thrusting him in the air. Shadow of the Dancing Leaf, thought Densetsu as he emerged behind Iwao. Densetsu finished off the move by executing the Tiger Combo, smashing Iwao into the ground. Iwao got up growling, and tried to land a hit on Densetsu. Powered by the Sharingan and his own natural speed, Densetsu dodged skilfully and magically, infuriating Iwao. Kicks and punches were met by simple acrobatics and Iwao's attacks lost their viciousness as he gave in to frustration. Densetsu jumped, landing a foot on Iwao's toe, before turning and landing a right hook to Iwao's face. Densetsu's attacks were swift, albeit nowhere near as strong as Iwao's. However the speed at which they were executed led to damage. Densetsu hit Iwao hard in the man's left eye, closing it after making it swell. Iwao staggered backwards as Densetsu charged again, Rasengan in hand. Quickly Iwao summoned a wooden dragon mask, covering himself and deflecting the attack easily. The recoil of Densetsu's attack thrust him backwards. Iwao emerged from his defence and landed on the grounded Densetsu. His powerful fist landed in the middle of Densetsu's face, breaking the latter's nose. Densetsu thrust two quick punches to Iwao's mouth, tearing his lip, but Iwao was madly focused. He grabbed Densetsu by the neck and threw him into a building, sending the Uchiha smashing through a window. Densetsu landed in a living room, where a family were huddled together in fear. Iwao leapt in after him. Throwing a punch at Iwao, Densetsu's attack was blocked and Iwao punched him through the wall, right next to the terrified family. As Iwao headed in after him, powerful torrents of wind lashed from the hole in the wall towards Iwao, slashing his chest viciously. His blood splattered on the huddling family as Densetsu leapt in again, floating like a professional boxer while he landed quick blow on Iwao's wounds. A kick from Iwao was all it took to thrust Densetsu back out of the room, through several layers of concrete back on the streets. Densetsu rolled on the ground and clasped his hands together to form the Rat hand sign. As Iwao landed on the street, an explosive tag on his back which Densetsu had placed during the living room brawl, exploded. Iwao whined sharply and fell to the ground. Quickly Densetsu pulled out several feet of wire and tossed it around Iwao, accelerating like a whirlwind around the kneeling Iwao. Suddenly three water clones emerged from the whirlwind, but Iwao rose, roaring like a lion and his fists and legs moved in unison. All three clones dissipated into water onto Iwao. The real Densetsu had been watching from behind, as his clones had accelerated around Iwao and finally gotten him wet. With the rolls of wire Iwao was stepping on plus the water on his body, he was a great conductor of electricity. Forming handseals rapidly, the wounded and bleeding Densetsu placed his hands on the ground. "Lightning Release: Electric Minefield!", he yelled as electricity flooded the ground, electrocuting Iwao. Iwao screamed savagely as thousands of volts coursed through his body, amplified by the water. His knees buckled and he curled up into a foetus position on the ground, writhing. Even for an immortal, Densetsu's strongest technique was a world of suffering. Raising his hands, Densetsu formed more hand seals and the Lightning Release: Four Pillar Bind took effect. Four large pillars arrived, concentrating lightning into Iwao, electrocuting him further. His faced looked tortured as his pain did not cease. "Stay indoors, away from windows and doors, now!", Densetsu shouted to the curious citizens of the small town as they witnessed the epic duel from their homes. Densetsu approached, letting the lightning keep coursing through Iwao. The teenager's screams were heartbreaking and for awhile, the mighty Criminal X who had held Densetsu on the backfoot so much during the fight, who had killed dozens of innocents, who killed ANBU with his eyes closed...he was just an 18 year old teenager like Densetsu. The lightning would make sure Iwao's muscles were too weak to function, at least for two days. The pillars sunk back into the ground and the weakened Iwao lay on the ground, twitching feebly. He couldn't be killed but he could be weakened. As Densetsu limped and bent before him, his hatred filled eyes teared as they looked at him. Who You Will Be Densetsu collapsed and sat down next to Iwao. "Why won't you just...die. What makes you so.." Iwao spat blood out. "..so powerful?" He asked. His cheeks were wet with blood and tears. Densetsu smiled feebly and pulled out his spectacles from a scroll. The Sharingan in his eyes dissipated as he put them on. "It's really simple, Akuhei. When I fought you today, I didn't fight to kill you...I fought to save the people that you could hurt." Densetsu replied softly. Iwao was puzzled. "The Wood Release...all those Kekkei Genkai, I could have sworn I had you all along...why, WHY can't I kill you? Why do you keep haunting me, reminding me of my failures?!" He growled hard, sobbing. "It's not I who reminds you of failure. It's yourself. When you fought me, you sought to kill me, you sought to justify your hatred. When you have nothing to lose, you become dangerous...but when you devote yourself to protect others, you gain a power no Kekkei Genkai can give.", Densetsu explained simply, brushing his hair backwards. "I can see it in your eyes, that hatred. You're suppressing something else behind it. It's forced hatred, which simply means you're hiding something else you perceive to be weakness." Confusion filled the teary Jashinist. "I don't understand, I just don't. You defeated me then, you defeated me now. I feel nothing but hate, that's all I need—", he didn't continue as Densetsu cut him off. "You f**kin' idiot. That's your problem, you're hiding it all along. You feel guilt, you feel isolation...you feel the need to love but you believe all that to be weakness. So you fill your mind with vengeance and had you killed me, the cycle would have completed; your descent into madness." Iwao was dazed, so Densetsu continued. "That long ass intestine lecture you gave me before we fought...I could see the emotion in your face all along. They bred you, an orphan, as a weapon. You were bred to view emotion as weakness, especially mercy, hope and happiness, as weaknesses. You were abused, you were moulded; but the dangerous thing is you never let go of your true feelings, Akuhei." Iwao twitched violently and the tears poured profusely from his eyes. Densetsu felt his pain, the same way he felt it initially before their duel. It was obvious that this boy was like him, in every way. Both searched for meaning, one ended up losing his way, another picked the right path. "Let go of it, all of it, Akuhei. Your act of vengeance on those bastards who used you was justified, but nothing else. They wronged you, but searching for power and fuelling yourself with hatred is only furthering their goals. You're becoming a weapon, not a human, and you barely realise it. Listen up now," Densetsu bent and looked Iwao in the eye, ferociously. "I'm speaking to Akuhei Iwao, powerful shinobi of the Mist, the five year old one, filled with love and humanity. Break free of your f**king bondage, break away from those very creatures you killed. They're dead, but you're not. Don't go down there anymore, it's finished. It's over. You've won." Iwao cried and cried and cried. The words of Densetsu were actually what he felt all along. All these years. The locks he had cast on his heart had broken by force by Densetsu, by the boy he could never defeat, ever. Iwao eventually passed out, as the emotion got to him, as did his injuries and his finished chakra. Epilogue The Torch, the Living Legend The Susanoo landed in front of Kirigakure, carrying Kirigakure's most infamous shinobi. As it deposited its cargo, it flew off immediately and no man could catch it. Several of the border guards had seen the boy who controlled it; the legendary Human Torch, aka Densetsu Uchiha, rebel of the Leaf. The cargo was the feared Akuhei Iwao, immobile, directly ahead of the Mizukage, Mei Terumi. News of the Torch travelled far and wide, no man had been thought powerful enough to nab the great Criminal X. Criminal X now lay in a cell, serving for his sins. Meditating he found peace, found happiness, all of which he owed to the great Human Torch. Criminal X now called himself Akuhei again, acquainting himself with the guards of his prison, eventually forming bonds with them. When he got out, he promised he would serve his Mizukage well; she wasn't like the previous ones, she was kind, she was just. Maybe when he made it out, he would do good like the Torch. But he knew the Torch was untouchable in terms of deed. The Torch changed people, not merely defeating them. But Criminal X found solace in atoning for his sins in prison. Elsewhere, the Torch's village eagerly keeps up with their great hero. Every exploit idolised by children, made a role model by shinobi, feared by evildoers. The Kage know his name, value his help, but will not show it. However a man with dark deeds and ancient ideals views him as an eternal enemy, still wanting to obtain his eyes. But the Torch pays no attention to them, he cannot. He reminds single-mindedly focused on his goals, keeping his village safe, ridding the world of whatever pestilence he can. He moves like a swift shadow, works from the darkness to implement the light. Densetsu Uchiha powered by his family the Leaf, the desire to protect them; defined by intelligence and wisdom, hunts the unjust.